Health: Hormone changes and dry eyes

I’d put it down to just getting older, but in recent years I’ve started to struggle with dry eyes. Part of that is probably increased levels of screen time, part of it is I now have to wear glasses and part of that is my age.

I have noticed that after a long day on the laptop my eyes are feeling it. When I go to the cinema and I put my glasses on, I feel it then too. My eyes feel uncomfortable and dry. Dry eye is a condition where your eyes don’t make enough tears to keep them moist. If you’ve got dry eyes, your eyes can feel irritated, watery and sore.

Leading Optometrist Sarah Farrant is a new mum and has experienced dry eye problems herself. She had this to say about dry eyes. “There is a well-established link between our balance of hormones and the health of our eyes. During pregnancy, the level of oestrogen in our body changes. This has a direct effect on our eye health, often causing expectant mums to experience dry eyes and find contact lenses uncomfortable, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy.”

There are many things which can cause dry eyes. A night on the tiles, tiredness, too much screen time and central heating can all affect the moisture levels in our eyes and if left unmanaged can lead to more serious eye problems.

Sarah has some tips for people who are having problems with dry eyes –

• Blink! Each time you blink it spreads moisture across the surface of your eye. Screen time can reduce your blink rate from 22 blinks to 7 blinks per minute and is a major cause of dry eyes.
• Use a naturally hydrating eye drop like Hycosan Fresh (£8.99 from Boots) to help keep your eyes moisturised and feeling refreshed.
• Studies show that supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids can decrease dry eye symptoms. Drinking more water can also help.

I really like the design of the Hycosan Fresh bottle. I’m useless at doing my own eye drops, but this is a pump, so you just aim the dropper in the corner of your eye, press the pump and it’s in. Why aren’t all eye drops designed like this?

Since I took Sarah’s advice my eyes have felt much better. I’m making an effort to blink and drink more, take regular breaks away from the screen, and when my eyes start to feel uncomfortable I use a drop or two of Hycosan Fresh.

Note: I was sent a bottle of Hycosan Fresh for review purposes. All images and opinions are my own.